Some thoughtful moves in two different rock situations. But it's not very long (because going above top of pillar gets too difficult).

 Start on left-trending ramp below wide inside corner with crack, in the right side of the central pillar. Up along the crack, then around the right side of slightly overhanging cap block, to arrive on top of pillar. . . . ? project Variation ? From notch on right side of cap block, go up main face to the top).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Pillar Right Inside Corner

Pillar Left Chimney

Left Face

Left Ridge

Pillar Right Arete

Far Left Face

Close Right Ramp

Far Right Ramp

Pillar Right Face

Right Crack

Right Scramble

Pillar Left Face

Face Left -> Flake Right

Right Face

Face Left of Corners

Left Corners

Ramp Left

Pillar Left Arete

Left Gully

Some thoughtful interesting moves in two different rock situations.

 Start at bottom right of left-trending ramp on the right side of the central pillar. First along the Left side of the gentle section of the ramp -- with both feet touching only the ledge below the main face of the ramp. Then when the left low ledge runs out and the main ramp gets steeper, step onto the main face of the ramp.

 Up that face with both feet only on the face, and left hand only on the left edge of the face, and right hand only on the right edge of the face (inside left edge of the corner crack). Optional, but not necessary, to grasp or step upon the horn left center below the slightly-overhanging cap block. Finish straight over cap to stand up on top of pillar. . . . (Much harder to go higher).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Interesting moves, with no squirming (perhaps a little bit optional).

 Likely one difficulty grade easier if stop at top of pillar.

 Start at base of wide crack / chimney inside wide left-facing corner in the left side of the central pillar. Up to the top of the chimney and stand on top of the pillar. . . (? project Variation : Up to top of chimney using holds only on the faces to the left or right -- without using any holds inside the chimney).

 From top of pillar, step up a bit left onto face above (crux) and finish over left side of overhang. . . (likely much harder if much less tall than 5ft7inch with normal reach).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Lots of interesting fun moves. If only this were longer.

 Start about 3 ft right from below gully/notch at top of cliff, under far left side of high roof. Roughly straight up toward overhang, then trend a bit left to finish over left half of overhang up to 3 ft right of top notch.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Lots of thoughtful moves. High quality expecially if can do both the main route and the variation off the same top-rope. Likely much harder if much less tall than 5ft 6inch with normal reach.

 Start on the ground below left-trending ramp, 8-10 ft left of 2.5-inch thick tree. Up onto ramp (a bit tricky), then go diagonally left across + up to reach the main face at the base of a non-sharp arete. Straight up it to finish just left of the left-hand of two non-thick tree on the same high ledge. . . . (Easier start onto ridge from ramp above left from it). 

Variation (Left Ramp Face, similar quality + difficulty but more homogeneous): Instead of diagonal up left on the ramp, go across ramp to get onto the main face about 4 ft left of little vertical gully. Roughly straight up to the top, passing between two non-thick trees on the same high ledge. Finish up mini-arete.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Lots of interesting moves.

 Start on ground below the right arete / outside right corner of the central pillar. Up the low face to the arete, then up that (without touching hands anywhere on left side of edge of arete) to reach right side of top of pillar. After standing on the pillar, finish through overhang above.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Some thoughtful face moves, but crux is exit from face onto wide ledge.

directions: Start below a pair of 1-ft deep right-facing inside corners with are below upper section of wide left-trending ramp with 2.5-ft wide ledge below it. This start is on the ground at the foot of another left-trending ramp / slope. Diagonal up left slope rock, the up along left-facing horn/corner which is 9 ft left from the top of the pair of 1-ft-deep right-facing corners. Somehow get up onto wide ledge. Next across the wide ledge and up the left side of face above.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Mainly a way to get to the top platform up around the right end. Mostly vegetated careful hiking, then some slab rock moves near the top.

 Start at bottom of obvious left-trending ramp about 50-70 ft left from the left side of the central pillar. Up the ramp mostly along its right side. Finish to the rock platform at top of this cliff.

 warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

Thoughtful moves the whole way for a non-tall climber. Too bad it's not longer. . . . (easier if have more height or reach).

 Start below zig-zag below obvious wider broken cracks on right side of face of the central pillar. Get off the ground (next perhaps easier if go left then right). Up the zig-zag. Up the obvious crack (perhaps easier it touch the face around right of the arete once). Finish on top of the pillar. Harder to go higher.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Some interesting moves. Too bad it's not longer.

 Start on left-trending ramp about 6-12 feet up right from its bottom -- below obvious crack (or pair of cracks?) that finish below right from the cliff's top platform (roughly to a 10-inch-thick pine tree in the middle of the slab ramp above (which is the ramp of the routes "Right Scramble" and "Far Right Ramp").

 warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Lots of slab climbing at the difficulty grade, some interesting.

 Start at low broken notch 12-15 ft right from the base of the ramp that goes up to the big inside corner in the right side of the central pillar. Up the notch to the left-trending ramp, then up its left side to the rock platform at top of this cliff - (the next route to the right goes up the right side of this ramp).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Lots of interesting fun moves.

 Start 4 ft right from the tree growing out of rock on left side of arete. Climb face the right to its top, through overhang to top of pillar. Join one of the other routes ("Pillar Left Chimney") to get to the top of the cliff.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Thoughtful sequence in low part, then strenuous in high part.

 Start on face just left of wide crack chimney in big right-facing inside corner on Left side of central pillar. Use a step just above the bottom of the chimney crack to get off the ground. . . ? (project 1: get started on the face without putting a foot on the corner) ?

 Up the face aiming for roof above -- without using the corner crack/chimney or pillar face to right of it.

 Just below roof, cross horizontal Right over top of corner crack into notch behind the pillar -- without touching backside of pillar or narrow "floor" below behind top of pillar.

 Above back of pillar see right-facing flake system up through left center of small roof (great hands but no feet). Next (without standing on top of the pillar or on the smaller block between the right side of pillar and the main wall) up the flake and over the roof to the top. . . . (right side of roof is easier (with footholds) but then an awkward exit).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Two thoughtful sustained face-climbing sequences.

 Start on ground below top of gentler section of left-trending ramp below right side of central pillar, where it makes its transition to get steeper up into the wide inside corner. Warm up with a couple of face moves to get on the ramp.

 Next straight up face above the ramp-transition point -- get onto the face _without_ stepping on the first steeper step of the ramp just above left from its gentler section. Perhaps trend a bit left to overhang, then finish up through some cracks in the overhang.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Some thoughtful moves.

directions: Start below a pair of 1-ft deep right-facing inside corners with are below upper section of wide left-trending ramp with 2.5-ft wide ledge below it. This start is on the ground at the foot of another left-trending ramp / slope. Up the face just left of the pair of corners to a wide ledge. 

 Next up onto top of a 3-ft-high block at the top of left-trending ramp - (Along the right side of this block is a right-facing corner with crack in it). Finish up the short face staying left of the crack. . . . Variation: Instead traverse horizontally around right side just below the block onto top of wide left-trending ramp. Up the corner with obvious crack to its top - (more strenuous and technical).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Tricky boulder problem in lower half. Climbing above much easier. . . . (? too bad the landing isn't better ?).

 Difficulty? Not sure of difficulty, because no one has yet put all the moves together.

directions: Start below two 1-ft deep right-facing inside corners with are below upper section of wide left-trending ramp with 2.5-ft wide ledge below it. Straight up onto the ledge into the left of the two corners, then up the right of the corners onto the ramp.

 Next diagonal up right across ramp to reach obvious inside corner with crack at the top of the ramp. The left side of the corner is a 3-ft high block. The right side is a 15-ft-high face with a "shield" almost at its bottom with an indentation below it. Up the right-side face to its top -- using the crack which forms the left edge of the "shield" and stepping on top of the block, but not using the crack above left which runs along life side of small overhanging down-pointing wedge rock.

 . . (? Project: climb the face to the right of the corner crack somehow without standing on top of the block on left side of the corner ? and perhaps without using the crack which forms the left side of the "shield" ?)

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Two very different rock situations.

 Start at bottom right end of the wide left-trending ramp. Up the ramp to reach the base of a shallow wide dihedral / open book, just above left from the non-sharp arete.  . . . Variation 1: Instead continue to the top of the ramp, then up the obvious corner with crack to the top - (at least one grade harder).

 Enter the shallow dihedral / open book from ramp above left. . . . Variation 2: Enter the dihedral directly from its bottom - (one grade harder). Roughly straight up the dihedral / open book to finish just left of the left-hand of two non-thick tree on the same high ledge. . . . Variation 3: About half-way up the dihedral, step left onto the face and up that to the top - (much harder).

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Thoughtful interesting moves the whole way. Try to use only holds within 12 inches of the arete.

 Start at base of arete -- outside left corner of the central pillar. Up the arete to its top. Stand on top of central pillar, step up across onto upper face and finish through overhang.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

Fun moves all the way. If only this were longer.

 Start at 2.5-inch thick tree below left-trending ramp, which is below gully/notch at top of cliff just left of high roof. Get onto the ramp, and across to the main face, below high gully/notch. Then roughly straight up to finish through the notch.

warning: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber or someone setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

 FA style + Naming of routes: For more on this - - > See the Main page for Cranberry Hollow.

30-45 ft routes around vertical on fun featured granite or granitic gneiss. Faces SouthWest (so good bet for afternoon on a cool day). Much is shaded by mature trees, so not as hot as might expect on hot afternoons.

 Straightforward access on official maintained trail then unofficial "herd paths".

 A bit south from the true "hollow" so a bit more noise than some other sectors. Some swampy land near the base, so likely more insects than some other sectors -- could be better after it's been dry for a while.

 More climbing nearby at sector Sloane, just below NW.

 Top-Roping: Obvious way to reach the top of this cliff to set up a top anchor is to scramble up (slippery) around the left (north) side.

 Name: Vaclav "Vic" Benes is like the grandfather of New Jersey climbing. While working as a mathematician at Bell Labs, he got many long-time NJ climbers (using the "Murray Hill Canoe Club") excited about climbing - (One of those Bell Labs climbers with a big impact was Neil Sloane who with Paul Nick later authored the climbing guidebook for NJ). Benes also made important contributions to the mathematical theory of stochastic processes with applications to voice communication. Bell Labs in Murray Hill NJ during that time was one of the top technological research centers in the world, and supported the largest land-line "telephone" network.

First Ascents? When we started exploring this rock sector, we discovered lots of previous work (cleaning + cutting) to prepare the rock and cliff top and base and approaches for climbing. So we could focus on just trying different possible routes for climbing. Whoever did that work, please contact us so we can give proper credit for your First Ascents.

warning: Loose rock is still a concern in this sector. Belayer or other members of party should not stand anywhere near underneath the climber or underneath a leader setting up top anchor.

 . . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2018. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

Pillar Right Inside Corner

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in r. Benes